From an Ecosynomics perspective, I would rephrase what Tania and Leann wrote, suggesting that we feel most comfortable with the certainty we experience in the reality of things-nouns, and we feel most alive when we experience the open possibility (aka uncertainty) in the reality of potential-light coming into development-verbs, resulting in things-nouns. All three levels of reality together, not separate. We experience the greatest vibrancy when we experience the possibility being manifested through pathways of development towards specific outcomes — what we have also called the “grounded-potential” path. In Surprise, Tania and Leann show how this path embraces suspense, surprise, and certainty, and how we love the experience of that path.

They suggest that surprise is evolutionarily beneficial. “With the help of surprise, our ancestors also spotted chances to eat, drink, and mate. Surprise protected them from danger and pointed them toward opportunity” (4).

Their research also supports the Ecosynomic focus on the experience of how people relate to their own self, other, group, nature, and spirit. One of the key components of their surprisology is the cultivation of relationships (ch 10). “The quality of our relationships impacts the quality of our lives…Relationships thrive from a skillful application of surprise.” For the practice of cultivating relational surprisology, they suggest six tools: “maintain complexity, balance oneness and otherness, balance novelty and routine, practice the magic ratio, speak the right surprise language, and track patterns” (172).